Ukraine's President Says "High" Threat Of Russian Invasion, Urges NATO Entry In Next 5 Years

Perhaps still seeking to justify imposing martial law over broad swathes of his country, and attempting to keep international pressure and media focus on a narrative of "Russian aggression," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko denounced what he called the high "threat of Russian invasion" during a press conference on Sunday, according to Bloomberg. Though what some analysts expected would be a rapid flair up of tit-for-tat incidents following the late November Kerch Strait seizure of three Ukrainian vessels and their crew by the Russian Navy has gone somewhat quiet, with no further major incident to follow, Poroshenko has continued to signal to the West that Russia could invade at any moment.

“The lion’s share of Russian troops remain” along the Russian border with Ukraine, Poroshenko told journalists at a press conference in the capital, Kiev. “Unfortunately, less than 10 percent were withdrawn,” he said, and added: “As of now, the threat of Russian troops invading remains. We have to be ready for this, we won’t allow a repeat of 2014.” Poroshenko, who declared martial law on Nov. 26, citing at the time possible imminent "full-scale war with Russia" and Russian tank and troop build-up, on Sunday noted that he will end martial law on Dec. 26 and the temporarily suspended presidential campaign will kick off should there be no Russian invasion. He also previously banned all Russian males ages 16-60 from entering Ukraine as part of implementation of 30 days of martial law over ten provinces, though it's unclear if this policy will be rescinded. During his remarks, the Ukrainian president said his country should push to join NATO and the EU within the next five years, per Bloomberg: While declining to announce whether he will seek a second term in the office, Poroshenko said that Ukraine should achieve peace, overcome the consequences of its economic crisis and to meet criteria to join the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization during next five years. But concerning both his retaining power and his ongoing "threat exaggeration" — there's even widespread domestic acknowledgement that the two are clearly linked. According to The Globe and Mail: While Mr. Poroshenko’s domestic rivals accuse him of exaggerating the threat in order to boost his own flagging political fortunes — polls suggest Mr. Poroshenko is on track to lose his job in a March election — military experts say there are reasons to take the Ukrainian president’s warning seriously.

As we observed previously, while European officials have urged both sides to exercise restraint, the incident shows just how easily Russia and the West could be drawn into a military conflict over Ukraine. Certainly Poroshenko's words appear designed to telegraph just such an outcome, which would keep him in power as a war-time president, hasten more and massive western military support and aid, and quicken his country's entry into NATO — the latter which is already treating Ukraine as a de facto strategic outpost.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-16/ukraines-president-says-high-threat-russian-invasion-urges-nato-entry-next-5-years

China Press Warns To "Prepare For Escalation Of Conflict With Canada"

Days after revealing that businessman Michael Spavor - who became the second Canadian citizen detained in China since Beijing warned it would retaliate against Canada for the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver earlier this month - had been arrested for "threatening national security", the Communist Party made clear that this is only the beginning, and that Canada should expect "further escalation" as Beijing has no intentions of backing down - and every intention of sending a message to US allies that they should stay out of the still-simmering dispute between the world's two largest economies.

Via an editorial in the Global Times, an English-language Chinese media company considered to be a mouthpiece for the Communist Party, China accused Canada and other US allies of forming "a collective encirclement and suppression of Chinese high-tech enterprise Huawei" - likely a reference to the US's campaign to convince its allies to avoid Huawei equipment, citing its vulnerability to Chinese spies, as well as Canada's cooperation in Meng's detention - the editorial "suggested" that China should leverage its economic heft to deter US allies from taking actions contrary to China's interest.

By calling on its allies, the US has gradually formed a collective encirclement and suppression of Chinese high-tech enterprise Huawei. It is a wicked precedent. Almost all US allies maintain active economic and trade ties with China, of which China is the biggest trading partner of many of them. China needs to urge these countries to keep neutral in the conflict between Washington and Beijing. It is possible for China to achieve this goal to a considerable extent because China does not threaten the strategic security of the US and its allies and it is more conducive for them to pursue national interests by maintaining good ties with China than to follow the hard line of the US. And if these countries continue to work against China to appease the US, China should not hesitate to retaliate. However, this does not mean that Beijing will capitulate to them at every step. For those countries that seek to ingratiate themselves to the US without regard to China's interests, China should firmly fight back, causing a heaving price for them.

Though China should carefully pick and choose when to accommodate these intrusions and when to react, the editorial resolutely stated that Canada had "crossed a line" by detaining Meng. Canada crossed the line by helping the US detain an executive of Huawei and China needs to clearly express that it doesn't accept it. If Canada were to ultimately extradite Meng Wanzhou to the US, it would certainly be at the cost of a backslide in China-Canada ties. In addition, it would be a test for China's national will and wisdom to decide when to accommodate certain countries for decisions made while being caught between China and the US, and when to resolutely counter their damage to China's interests.

The editorial goes on to suggest that perhaps if China had taken a harder line against Australia when it became the first country to accept the US's advice and ban Huawei's equipment, other countries (like, maybe, Canada) would have thought twice about interfering.

Australia was the first to follow Washington in blocking Huawei devices. As Wu Xinbo, a scholar of Fudan University, pointed out in an interview with the Global Times, "If China firmly fought back on Australia's decisions, other countries might think twice before considering calling off Huawei's products." China certainly will not overact, because such a move will isolate China and construct the outcome the US prefers. Beijing needs to meticulously select counter-targets to really make them learn a lesson.

When weighing retaliation against the US, China must focus on participants in the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance - particularly Canada, Australia and New Zealand. As we've previously reported, infiltrating the "Five Eyes" cabal has long been a focus for Chinese intelligence services. And as it seeks to do this, China must be prepared for conflicts to escalate. Canadian officials have yet to learn much about the circumstances in which its two citizens have been detained, and China has given no indication that it will release them, despite Meng being granted bail last week. And judging by the tone of this editorial, China doesn't plan to relent.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-16/china-press-warns-prepare-escalation-conflict-canada

U.S. Navy may stop docking in Haifa after Chinese take over port

Concerns prompt ‘review’ of Shanghai agreement within Israel’s inner security cabinet, sources say.

The US Navy has acknowledged that its longstanding operations in Haifa may change once a Chinese firm takes over the civilian port in 2021, prompting Israel’s national security cabinet to revisit the arrangement, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Haifa, the nation’s largest port city, regularly hosts joint US-Israeli naval drills and visits from American vessels. But a 2015 agreement between Israel’s Transportation Ministry and Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) – a company in which the Chinese government has a majority stake – has raised intelligence and security concerns that are only now prompting an interagency review.

That agreement granted SIPG control over the port for 25 years. The Chinese company has committed $2 billion to the project and, according to state-run media, plans to transform the port’s bay terminal into the largest harbor in the country. A representative of the Sixth Fleet said the navy’s partnership with Israel remains “steadfast.” “Our US Navy ships frequently visit Haifa, Israel, for both US-Israel bilateral military activity and port calls,” Commander Kyle Raines told the Post, when asked whether China’s coming presence might affect fleet operations in the Mediterranean city. “For now, there are no changes to our operations in Israel,” the commander continued. “I can’t speculate on what might or might not occur in 2021.”

Three sources familiar with the matter said that due to concerns that US defense officials privately shared with their Israeli counterparts, the Israeli government has launched “a review of the agreement at a high level,” specifically among members of the inner cabinet. According to one source, several members expressed worry that sensitive infrastructure matters have not been properly vetted by Israel’s full national security cabinet prior to approval. “You don’t want a decision that was made ostensibly for business reasons to have an impact on Israel’s relationship with the American navy,” the source said. The deal was signed off by Israel Katz, who was serving as transportation minister at the time and has remained in the position since. He occupies a seat in the national security cabinet.

A senior IDF officer confirmed that the review is under way. But it is unclear whether Israel has any recourse to allay US concerns with the China project, which is already sealed and in motion. “Historically, it’s interesting to see [that] the whole awakening is now when the contract was signed in 2015 – it begs the question what the hype is all about. It’s probably more conducive now because of the US-China tensions over trade, national security and the like,” said Assaf Orion, a retired Israeli brigadier-general and expert on Israel-China relations now based at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “There is always a question of encouraging investment versus managing risk.” “The bottom line here is that Israel will make a fatal mistake by doing either or both of the following: disregarding China’s potential to advance Israel’s economy, and doing it with our eyes shut,” Orion continued. “We must keep our eyes open, fully aware of the risk management requirements and its possible impact on the US-Israel relationship.”

Retired Israeli and American defense and intelligence officials raised concerns throughout the summer that Chinese management of the port might jeopardize America’s operations there. The former head of Israel’s Mossad, Efraim Halevy, sounded an alarm in recent months over the security implications of China’s creeping presence across Israel’s critical infrastructure. And retired admiral Gary Roughead, ex-chief of US naval operations, warned that a Chinese-run seaport in the bay could force the navy to dock its warships elsewhere. “The Chinese port operators will be able to monitor closely US ship movements, be aware of maintenance activity and could have access to equipment moving to and from repair sites and interact freely with our crews over protracted periods,” Roughead remarked during a conference last month at the University of Haifa. “Significantly, the information systems and new infrastructure integral to the ports and the likelihood of information and electronic surveillance systems jeopardize US information and cybersecurity,” he added.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/US-Navy-may-stop-docking-in-Haifa-after-Chinese-take-over-port-574414

>>4343419

Agreed and if I remember correctly the sixth fleet just got a new commander…digging now to find out..